SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9 — OpenAI on Tuesday began rolling out Images 2.5, an upgraded image-generation model for ChatGPT, alongside a new Sketch tool that turns rough user doodles into polished AI artwork. The release started reaching ChatGPT users on desktop, mobile and web platforms, the company said. For families and casual creators, the update is less about raw specs and more about what it unlocks: faster results, more natural-looking images, and a lower barrier to making something that looks finished.
According to OpenAI, Images 2.5 cuts image-generation latency by 50% compared with its predecessor, Images 2.0, which arrived only months earlier. That speed gain matters for iterative work — the kind where a user tweaks a prompt again and again until the picture feels right.
The model also improves the AI’s handling of natural light and rich textures, preserves subjects from reference photos, and follows edit instructions across multiple rounds of changes. Those are the details that separate a generic render from an image that looks like it was shot or painted with intention. A new Templates feature, found under Images > Templates, offers pre-set formats such as Poster and Merch to speed up creative workflows.
It is aimed squarely at people who want a usable design, not just a pretty picture.
The Sketch tool
The Sketch tool opens a canvas with drawing tools. Users doodle an idea, add a short text prompt describing what they envision, and the AI completes the artwork. It can be accessed by typing @Sketch in the prompt box.
A PCMag contributor who tested the tool called the results impressive — though noted that the accompanying prompt appears to do much of the heavy lifting. In other words, the doodle sets the composition, but the words still steer the final image.
The release lands just days after OpenAI introduced GPT-6 Astra. It also follows a new feature that lets third-party messaging services connect directly to ChatGPT, helping the AI better understand and emulate users’ writing styles.
Context and disclosure
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, PCMag’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging copyright infringement in the training and operation of OpenAI’s AI systems. Looking ahead, the question is how quickly these tools find their way into everyday routines — birthday invitations, classroom projects, small-business flyers. OpenAI is betting that between the speed gains and the forgiving Sketch workflow, more people will treat ChatGPT as a design partner rather than a search box.
The rollout is still in progress, so users who do not see the new tools yet may not have to wait long.
